One of the best things about going away to school is that it gives you a chance to live on your own and really start to experience what "adult life" is all about. Some people choose to ease into the responsibilities of making your own meals and paying rent by spending some of their undergraduate years in school provided student housing while others will dive right in to renting a unit in Yonge condos or a room in a home in the student village in London. Here are some options for those attending one of the post-secondary institutions here in London.

Both the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College offer student residences for those attending full-time classes at their institutions. Fanshawe has space for nearly 800 students and houses them in suites that are similar to any Toronto condos listings that you might find in the mid-level price range. You have access to a four-bedroom suite and all of the on campus amenities including laundry and a gym. UWO offers more standard residences for first-year students with a single or double room and shared bathrooms and apartment-style suites for upper-level students.

If you're comparing residence life with renting London real estate than you will find that there are advantages and disadvantages to each option. Residences have all of your utilities paid for and you just need to make one lump payment for rent at the beginning of each semester. You are also only required to pay for September to April. This is usually not the case when you're renting a unit from a London Ontario home builder. With an apartment you will have some more freedom about noise and usually have a lot more space to yourself. This is why this is generally the preferred option of upper-year students.

Most of the student housing for UWO students is located right around the school between Wonderland and Adelaide to the east and west and Fanshawe Park and Dundas north to south. Fanshawe students tend to live between Highbury and Richmond north of Dundas. What one student will be paying for an apartment will depend on its distance from the school and how many people they are choosing to live with. Most can find a place for under five hundred dollars a month including utilities.

There are many things to consider before deciding where the right place is to live while you're at school. If you're studying to work in a London Ontario animal hospital or as a nurse than you may want a place where you can study in quiet most of the time. Other people want somewhere they can comfortably socialize with friends and even host a party every once in a while. Be honest with yourself when you're deciding what you want or need and you are sure to find something acceptable within London.